Sects/Religious Orders/Kindly Ones
The Kindly Ones This information is built from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EQqrmBkBQZgowtxZN-seoOWQ3DFV6EW3oU_x3WQt4ZY/edit?usp=sharing go to that if you want to see how I created this. The Idol’s worn by the worshipers of the Kindly Ones how chrystals, those Crystals are the Kindly Ones, who themselves are just a Biogenic Silica parasite. These structures are parasitic in nature, feeding of psionic life energy (emitted by all living things). These lifeforms can alter the mood and behavior of any creature that psionic abilities work on. These lifeforms are instinctual rather than self aware as we understand it. They are in the grey area between sentience and animal cunning. This is due to how they ‘think’ and experience the universe is so different from us as to make comparisons hard. As a result these creatures will have an are they/aren't they relationship with sentient intelligence, any clear human understandable plan with come from the humans in their thrall not the aliens. These structures are parasitic in nature, feeding of psionic life energy (emitted by all living things). These lifeforms can alter the mood and behavior of any creature that psionic abilities work on. One of the previous dominant alien races, found these rocks and started using they to carve idols. Within 200 years of discovery the religion that had sprung up around these idols was the dominant religion of this race. Infact this race had been co-opted by these rocks, which had taken over and was running the race itself. With the rapid change of the human invasion, the once bountiful food source which was this prey race vanished, forcing the living rocks to go into hibernation. The scream acted like an adrenaline shot, waking the rocks up. Finding these alien idols, the CHR started worshiping them as a way to respect and repent for humanities actions. The idol’s started to control something again. The CHR church members are not ignorant of the kindly ones, influence and control. Rather they see it as a partnership and a joint effort. The Kindly Ones power, euphoria, extended life, and control. While they do make demands of their worshipers, they never attempt to directly control the minds of their worshipers, in many ways their minds are so different to our they cant. Due to the dominance of this race, every planet has at least some idols hidden somewhere, as planet that they didn’t control would have research stations, embassies, immigrants or similar who would bring the idols with them. These idol’s need worshipers to awaken. The Crystals slowly grow based on feeding. If the crystals have been cut into a shape as they grow they will continue to hold that shape. A tiny jade buddha will eventually become a giant jade buddha. Oppertunitisiticly cannibalistic. They enjoy and get the most out of consuming Crystals weaker than them. This is one of the monitivators to spread, as this provides a food source. It is unclear if it is part of the crystals nature to manage a ‘flock’ of parishioners or the influence of the human mind. The crystals cunning or intelligences or thought becomes more powerful the bigger it is. The crystals partially feed off the lifeforce of their worshipers, however their main source of food is the victims of their worshipers. The crystals get the most energy when it’s hosts victims, are emotionally attached to it’s host, the trust the host, and are connected in someway. This means it hunts by building up trust and ultimately betraying that trust. The game Vampyre on the PS4 is a great example of this mechanic. Additionally the longer, more painful, more frightening the murder of the victim is, the better the energy the crystal gets. Better in the sense of ‘flavour’ rather than power. The difference between a fine wine and rotgut prison moonshine. The exception to this are reavers. Developed too late in the human alien wars, a Furif Torgil can turn a Genif Jorus reaver. All worshipers attached to this then transform into maddened berserkers. Murdering anyone and anything. Once all members on the Genif Jorus have died, it reverts to it’s original nature. However for the worshipers it is a one way process. The crystals creatures are not conveniently intelligent. They depend on their hosts for that. Rather they have hunger and animal cunning. The larger the crystal gets the more intelligent it gets, but it is not a human style intelligence, it more focuses on hunting food sources a manipulating its flock. Any attempt to talk to a crystal would be impossible, due to the lack of common ground and complete difference is perspective of the universe. For example the closest a humans understanding of a typical house gods thoughts would be: While a humans thoughts would seem like the sound of wind through the trees or the bleating of sheep. The worshipers are only loosely tied to creeds and values, they will preach the high church values if it provides a food source to their crystal.